Overview
APS5 and APS6 leaders operate in one of the most demanding layers of the public sector, where expectations are high, clarity is often low, and the pressure to deliver seamlessly across policy, process, and people is constant. This masterclass is designed to cut through competing priorities and equip leaders with practical, immediately usable tools to strengthen confidence, capability, and high-performance behaviours.
Participants will explore how to lead with clarity when ambiguity is unavoidable, how to influence without formal authority, and how to communicate in ways that accelerate alignment rather than add noise. The session also focuses on lifting performance conversations, strengthening decision-making, and building habits that support resilience and consistency in fast-shifting APS environments.
This is an applied, interactive program that meets APS5-6 leaders where they are and equips them to step into greater authority, steadiness, and impact. Every framework is designed to be transferred straight back to the workplace with minimal friction and maximum relevance.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Strengthen clarity around their leadership role, remit, and authority
- Apply practical tools to lift communication effectiveness
- Navigate role ambiguity and competing expectations with confidence
- Build stronger influence upwards, sideways, and within their teams
- Improve decision-making speed and quality
- Apply values-aligned leadership behaviours that increase trust and consistency
- Lead performance conversations with confidence and fairness
- Strengthen resilience, focus, and the habits that drive sustainable performance
Featuring Our Speakers
Sally Foley-Lewis
Middle Management Leadership Expert
Sally Foley-Lewis works with mid-level leaders equipping them to be confident, capable and courageous. She gets results. With a leadership development career spanning more than 20 years, she has seen the middle from every angle: reported to the middle; worked in the middle; and as a CEO led the middle. She walks the talk! She is a global award-winning motivational speaker, Hall of Fame educator, 6 x Author, and in-demand mentor.
The drive to support and skill mid-level leaders comes from her own leadership experiences. Sally delivers keynote presentations and deep development programs to skill managers, boost productivity and amplify results. Her burger framework is fun and functional and her presentation is perfect right before lunch (burgers, anyone?)!
Sally has worked with over twenty thousand managers and leaders from medium sized to global organisations in Germany, Middle East, Asia, North America and across Australia. Name an industry and she’s helped mid-levels leaders shine in that industry, from early childhood education to finance, FMCG and heavy industry, to government agencies. Her extensive qualifications; wicked sense of humour, and ability to engage and inspire while making people feel at ease makes her your first choice for your developing your management team.
Who should attend?
APS5 and APS6 leaders across operational, corporate, program, policy, and project environments who want to increase their effectiveness, lead with confidence, and lift their impact in high-stake, fast-shifting public sector environments. Also suitable for high-potential APS4s preparing for advancement.
Topics Covered
- Leading from the Middle: Role Clarity, Authority and Identity
- Communication that Lands: Influence in a Multi-Stakeholder System
- High Performance in Complex Environments
- Influencing Without Authority
- Resilience, Focus, and Sustainable Leadership Habits
